Harvester-reel.



No. 640,044. Patented Dec. 26, I899. C. W. STEWART.

HARVESTER REEL. Application filed Sept. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

o IN No. 640,044. Patented Dec. 26, I899. 13. w. STEWART.

HARVESTEB REEL.

(Application filed Sept. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 2.

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HARVESTER-REEL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 640,044, dated December2d, 189?). Application. filed September 27, 1899. Serial No. 731,859-(No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLAUDE W. STEWART, acitizen of the United States,residing at Martinsburg, in the county of Berkeley and'State of WestVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Harvester Reels,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harvester-reels, and has for its object toprovide a harvesterreel of novel and simple construction that may beeasily and quickly detached and removed from the reel-shaft and when soremoved may be readily unfolded out into a fiat and compact form,whereby when the harvester is not in use the reel may be convenientlystowed away in a small space for storage or transportation.

To this end my invention consists in the features and in theconstruction,combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointedout in the claims following thedescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, wherein Figure 1 is an end view of myimproved reel set up in operative position. Fig. 2 is a View in sideelevation-thereof. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the reelunfolded in position for storage; and Fig. 4is a view in side elevationthereof.

The present invention relates in no way to the harvester itself, whichmay be of any ordinary or preferred construction and which is not,therefore, herein shown or described, excepting the usual reel-shaft,which is shown in dotted lines. The invention relates solely to thereel, which, briefly stated, comprises a plurality of straight armsarranged in a cylindrical plane and supported by inclined braces whichat their inner ends are secured to a sectional hub, the sections of thehub being hinged at their adjacent edges to each other in such mannerthat the sections may be unfolded out flat or folded up into cylindricalform, means being provided for locking the sections in their foldedposition and clamping the hub on the reel-shaft.

In order that those skilled in the art may make and use my invention, Iwill now describe the same in detail.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the usual reel-shaft;2, the hub of the reel; 3, the reel-arms, and etthe diagonal or inclinedbraces for supporting the reelarms on the hub. The hub is formed of aplurality of independent or separate sections 5, of uniform size andshape and each sub stantially triangular in cross-section, the inneredge of each section being con'caved or grooved, as at 6, to form asurface adapted to grip or grasp the reel-shaft, as will more fullyhereinafter be made apparent. The outer adjacent edges of thehub-sections are hinged together in the following manner: Formed on eachof the outer opposite edges of each hub-section 5, and preferablyintegrally therewith, is a hinge-leaf 7, of ordinary and well-knownconstruction, each two adjacent hinge-leaves when the hub-sections areplaced side by side being pivotally cor'1 nected together by ahinge-pintle 8. An inclined socket 9 is formed in the outer end portionof each hub-section 5, and in said socket is fixed the inner end of abrace 4:. To

the outer end of each brace is rigidly fixed one of the reek-arms 3. Thearrangement is such that when the hub-sections are folded up together,so that their opposite flat sides 10 will lie in contact, all thehub-sections will unite to form practically a solid hub of hexagonal orsimilar geometrical shape,the braces at extending diagonally andradially outward from the hub and the reel-arms 3, carried by saidbraces, lying in a cylindrical plane concentric with the hub. The partsare locked in this position and at the same time immovably clamped onthe reel-shaft 1 by the.

following means: Threaded sockets 11 and 12 are respectively formed inthe end or unhinged sections of the hub, said socket being formed insuch manner that when the hubsections are folded up into position toform a hub the two threaded sockets 11 and 12 will register with eachother, whereupon a machine-screw 13 may be inserted in the socket 11 andscrewed into the socket 12, and the hub having been placed upon thereel-shaft 1 it is firmly secured in place thereon by screwing up thescrew 13, thus tightly clamping the hub-sections about the shaft.

When it is desired to remove and store away the reel, it is onlynecessary to withdraw the screw 13 or unscrew it from the socket 12,when the parts may be unfolded out fiat in the position shown in Fig. 4of the drawings, thereby converting the reel from a circular to a fiatform and enabling it to be packed away in a small space convenienteither for storageor for transportation.

Ihave shown and described the hinge-leaves as formed integrally with thehub-sections;

but it will be evidentthat the hinges may be formed separately from saidsections and attached to the latter, and it will also be evident thatthe reel-arms and braces may be connected to the hub-sections in mannerdifferent from that shown. Furthermore, the details of construction maybe obviously altered without departing from the spirit of my invention,and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the exact constructionshown, such construction being merely illustrated as the preferred formand to enable my invention being clearly understood.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A foldingharvester-reel, comprising a sectional hub consisting of a plurality ofseparate sections approximately triangular in cross-section and hingedtogether at their outer adjacent edges, reel-arms carried by thehub-sections and means for clamping said sections about a shaft,substantially as described.

2. A folding harvester-reel, comprising a sectionalhub consisting of aplurality of separate sections each approximately triangular incross-section and concaved on its inner edge to fit a shaft, saidsections being hinged together at their outer adjacent edges, reelarmscarried by the hub-sections, and means for clamping said sections abouta shaft, sub stantially as described.

3. A folding harvester-reel, comprising a sectional hub formed of aplurality of separate sections approximately triangular in crosssectionand hinged together at their outer adjacent edges, said sections whenfolded to gether in contact with one another operating to form a hub,reel-arms carried by said sec tions, and means for locking the sectionsin their folded position, substantially as described.

et. A folding harvester-reel, comprising a sectional hub formed of aplurality of separate sections approximately triangular in crosssectionand hinged together at their outer adjacent edges, diagonal bracesattached to the outer faces of said hub-sections, reelarms attached tothe outer ends of said braces, and means for locking the hub-sections intheir folded position, substantially as described.

5. A folding harvester-reel, comprising a sectionalhub formed ofseparate sections each approximately triangular in cross-section andhaving hinge-leaves formed on its outer opposite edges, pintlesconnecting said hingeleaves, a screw engaging the two end sections ofthe hub for clamping the latter about a shaft, and reel-arms carried bythe hub-sections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CL AUDE W. STEWART.

Witnesses:

1-3. D. MYERS, GEO. L. Wuv'nn.

